What a gorgeous day it was today! After a week filled with two high-wind events, (with tornadic conditions expected on Thursday), and getting caught in a snow squall yesterday, this St. Paddy’s Day weather was the perfect tonic for all the gloomy, icy, windy and snowy days we’ve endured since mid-January.
It sure made you stand up and take notice …
… or, at least kick up your heels, just like this Canada Goose did up top.
Heritage Park was my primary destination today.
It was cold, just 23 degrees F (-5 C) when I arrived at this park. Sure it was nippy, but if you’re dressed for it, you didn’t even notice.
I was here last St. Patrick’s Day too. Click here.
The bright sun was glinting off the ice which covered Coan Lake. Most of the ducks were huddled together by the covered bridge, while the geese were in small groups, walking rather precariously across that ice which resembled glass.
This pair of geese stayed put, looking a little wobbly on the slick surface, first gravitating toward one another, then finally going their separate ways.
There were a few breaks in the ice where there was water, like here:
I don’t know about you, but if I had my druthers, I’d stay on the ice, not in the frigid water, surrounded by ice … just sayin’.
These two geese looked like they’d rather stay on dry land, than venture out into the water or onto the ice. I can’t say that I blame them, do you?
I usually walk around Heritage Park’s historical village a couple of times, then take the perimeter path around the entire Park. But, all that rain we had Wednesday night and through Thursday left huge puddles on the grass, and even on the pathways in the village. You can see in this picture how treacherous the icy pathway was for walking and the sun was so strong, you couldn’t always tell where the ice began and ended.
The alternative was the goose-poop-laden lawn. These were my parting shots of Heritage Park, which is always beautiful, even wearing its barren cloak of Winter.
It was still early and I was not going to head home yet, so I went to my favorite stomping grounds, Council Point Park and concentrated on walking and feeding my furry pals. I got six miles walked today … and that was worth doing a little Irish jig over!
I think we may have turned a corner on this brutal cold as we will inch up a few degrees every day and it will be 50 degrees (10 C) on the first full day of Spring. That makes me smile.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Linda Schaub
WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY 
This was an optimistic post, for sure! I’m looking forward to seeing spring through your camera lens.
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Thanks Anne – it was refreshing after all Winter’s gloom and doom the past two months. I know we could still have snow in April and we had it last year on April 17th. I had a teeth cleaning appointment and it was icy and snowy and I always walk, as it’s just 1 1/3 miles each way. I had to walk on the main drag with cars whizzing by as it was slushy and slick. My regular dentist was still in Boston as he had run the Boston Marathon the day before and they had horrid weather too.
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I hope the end of winter is easier for you this year.
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The weather for the week looks promising Anne- rain on Wednesday but as of now it is in the afternoon – finally, maybe I can get some traction going in this walking regimen.
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Miss Linda……………………………….when i see the geese swimming in the icy waters………………………..I feel cold…………………………but they must be used to it……………………..it was a beautiful early spring day today……………………………only because the sun was bright
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Makes me cold too Ann Marie. Coan Lake was about 75% iced over and the pathway in the village area was quite bad … all the rain from the other day had crept onto the pavement and frozen over. Not good for walking, so I took some photos and left. That sun sure was beautiful wasn’t it? Snow flurries tonight – hopefully don’t impact your drive tomorrow morning or my walk.
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You had a snow squall yesterday???? We just had a few flurries, and today I managed a half hour walk, the first in a month!
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We did and there had already been one snow squall so I thought it was over with, so I ventured out confidently. We had squalls moving through the tri-county area all morning … I wasn’t at the Park long and suddenly the sky, which had been bright blue, turned dark gray and it snowed like crazy. I went home, dried off the car, and hooked it to the trickle charger and by that time, the snow stopped, the sun came out, a breeze arrived and the snow was gone – it didn’t stick to cement, so I then went back to Council Point Park by walking – yes, a little crazy on my part but I didn’t want to miss a walk! We have nice weather all week so I hope to rack up some miles. Didn’t it feel good to walk again – start off slow or you’ll get shin splints – I’ve had them before … I wasn’t sure I should have done six miles yesterday and almost six on Saturday.
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I read last years post too…..great pictures…..all the ducks in a row and walking on ice…..how do they do that?!
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Joan – they walk just like we do, very carefully and I wouldn’t say that their feet, being wide give them an advantage. They walk slower and sometimes they do slip and slide – so do the ducks …I am glad you liked last year’s post … it is a beautiful park and always something to see. I didn’t see any seagulls there yesterday and sometimes they make for some funny photos too.
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I noticed on my run this morning that the ducks were super talkative and much happier now that the ice has disappeared from the river!
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I sure can’t blame them AJ because you’ve had a lot of snowy and icy conditions this Winter … I’ll bet they are really glad to see the ice gone and they can go back to enjoying their regular surroundings. These ducks and geese sure look miserable when they huddle together; the ducks seem to huddle together more than the geese.
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Yes I was worried about them last week, but this week they were back to normal:)
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Gosh – it does look like glass! dangerous!
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Alison – we had torrential rains on Thursday and some severe weather in parts of our state – I was unscathed by the four tornadoes as they were 86 miles (138 km) from me, but we had heavy rains and the ground was frozen and it couldn’t saturate into the ground, so the runoff went on the sidewalks and walking path – this was treacherous and with the strong sun I couldn’t see the path to walk. I am ready for Spring!
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6 miles can go quickly when you have duck and geese friends to keep you company. Were they wearing green? 🍀
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It was such a sunny and beautiful day Ally … the time passed quickly, and I’d have gone another mile but didn’t want to overdo it and risk shin splints. I hated to come home! A couple of the geese were sporting St. Paddy’s Day boutonnieres but they just couldn’t get the jig thing going due to the icy conditions!
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I am smiling with you Linda. The 10 day forecast is looking pretty good (not that it is very reliable).
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Yes, we can only hope Ruth. I heard the only rain or precip of any kind all the way to the weekend will be Wednesday afternoon. After all the cold, ice and windy days, it will be a real treat to have normal March weather. I hope that we’ve seen the end of the snow, but wouldn’t count on it.
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Aww, I love seeing all the geese look so happy! 🙂 xxx
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Glad you liked them Heather – I had a few duck photos, but thought I’d feature geese for a change instead.
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Yay for 6 miles walked! On Friday, it was in the 70s here. We kept our grandsons overnight and took them down to the park near our house Friday evening. Bill and both boys had shorts on. I was not quite ready for that. The weekend brought cooler weather, but it was sunshine-y and in the mid-40s – not too bad. Sunday (St. Patrick’s Day) is my younger grandson’s birthday. We attended a party for the little guy that included all of his pre-school classmates. Then Bill and I came home and collapsed on the sofa! 🙂
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I’m like you Laurie and feel that even if it is cold, if the sky is bright and sunshine-y, I am good. I enjoyed the weekend weather and all the walking and now I must start racking up miles in earnest to make up for lost time. Wow – the 70s … that was a treat and Bill’s shorts were still handy from Costa Rica and the kids wear shorts to school/pre-school now from what I see when I’m walking, so they were waiting in the wings for the boys. Those little nippers will wear you out for sure. That’s fun to have a birthday on St. Patrick’s Day – lots of cupcakes or cake with green icing and the kids running around sticking out their green tongue, like you and I did when we had grape Popsicles back in the day. 🙂
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Bill took a picture of Henry (our grandson) with green icing from his cupcake smeared all over his face. We had to throw him in the bathtub afterward! IWhen I was teaching, I had kids (teenagers) who wore shorts all winter long. That always seemed cold to me!
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Yup, I was right – I figured you had green icing for the holiday birthday and even pictured cupcakes … and I’ve never had kids!
Henry was having a great time I’ll bet! I have seen kids in Winter in shorts as well … they are made of stronger stuff than us I guess. I have written Winter blog posts in the past and mentioned taking 15 minutes to get suited up and how many articles of clothing I had on – as a runner, maybe you don’t have as many layers as you’ll get warmer more quickly than a walker will, but you still have to layer up. On weekdays, it’s a made dash to suit up, get out, and reverse the process when I return to get ready for work. We were still pretty cold today and maybe snow flurries and blustery this Friday, but a nice weekend.
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Beautiful photos, the geese – oh gosh luv. However, the millhouse is so lovely – that color! Happy St. Patrick’s!
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Thanks Kim – back at you. I really liked the reflections on the water and ice, along with the geese, who were very peaceful – no honking or fits by them and I attribute that to them concentrating on walking so precariously on the ice to keep from sliding. The colors at that park make it come alive even in Winter – that mill and the little red schoolhouse are my favorites!
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Looks like a beautiful way to spend the day 🙂 Kinda feels like spring is springing!!!
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I think so too Mackenzie – it’s supposed to get better as the week goes on.
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I’m glad to hear that the worst of the weather spared you! The pictures of the goose swimming between the ice floats are great! Hopefully everything will drain by the time you make it back over there. Happy belated St. Patrick’s Day to you, Linda! 🍀
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Thanks Sabine – last Thursday’s forecast was really dire. They had predicted 70 mph winds and possible tornadic conditions in the southern part of Michigan and that had me worried. It turned out the severe weather was in mid-Michigan, 86 miles away. No lives lost, but three houses and one barn flattened and 70 houses and businesses sustained structural damage. I do fear for tornado damage and we had several last year not that far away, in fact, one was down the street from this park which is 5 miles away from me. I liked the shots of the goose in the ice too and couldn’t decide which one I liked better, so I used both! I love to see the reflections on the water or ice. We had torrential rain last Thursday and the ground is still frozen, so it would not saturate in, thus pooled on top of the walking path. It was treacherous so I didn’t spend much time there. We are promised a lovely end of the week and weekend and I am looking forward to it. Thanks – no Irish in me, but everyone can be Irish for the day!
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What a nice post! I love the geese but they make such a mess with their poop! Try walking and it’s like walking in a maze…lol I saw my first robin today!!!! Bring it on Spring!
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Sometimes you don’t know where to step with those geese … it’s ridiculous sometimes. I didn’t know where to walk yesterday – icy paths, poop on the grass … and sun so crazy brilliant (not that I’m complaining) that I had to shade my eyes with my entire arm … didn’t want to be an ice casualty so I flew the coop. 🙂
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Probably a good move! You have inspired me to get my client walking. I only have her 2 days a week but she agreed to walk 1 mile with me each day. I can only take her outside when it’s a bit warmer and no inclement weather so we have been walking the mall. Huge deal for me after my 2 knee replacements. Haven’t been able to do this for decades and it feels fantastic!
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That is great news Diane! Starting out slow is the best way so you don’t get shin splints. When I first began walking in 2011, I started with one City block and kept increasing a little more each day. It is when it is a beautiful day and I go that extra mile that I end up with shin spllints from overdoing it and then that will set me back. A fellow blogger, Anne Mehrling (Mehrling’s Muse) had two knee replacements too, and she and her husband now walk every morning … they live in the mountains of North Carolina. I am glad I inspired you and some other bloggers have said the same thing – I think it is not only the exercise, but the chance to interact with nature – have your cameras and/or phone ready!
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Sweet Canada Geese! We saw a bunch today by a pond near Walmart. All the water here is thawed, so clear sailing for them. They have been eating a lot of dry grass around the pond. No cows around to compete with them… so they have plenty to gobble up. Robins aplenty too! 🙂
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Glad you liked them Tom. It was interesting watching them navigate on the ice. The ducks seem to walk effortlessly, with a little slipping and sliding, but they don’t have as far to fall, but the geese walk like people would … tiny steps or kind of shuffling along … I know that is how I walk on glare ice anyway. The Creek at Council Point Park is finally thawed out and maybe, just maybe, it is starting to feel and look a little more Springlike.
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Ah, I can feel your love for the upcoming warmer weather! Happy belated St. Patrick’s Day! Happy First day of Spring, too!
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Thanks Shelley – I’ll try to grumble about Friday morning’s snow showers – grrr. At least they shouldn’t amount to anything. We get a warm-up on Sunday (they say … as you know, they are not always right).
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March and April showers bring May flowers, right?! Our weekend is supposed to be warmer too. We did have a few snow flurries yesterday, but no accumulations that goodness! It was a grrray kinda day! Hope you see happy sunny skies on Sunday!
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Those May flowers are the glass half-full attitude Shelley – that is a good way to look at it as we want to banish these showers and foggy conditions that often plague March – such is the case here this morning. I’m hoping for at least a walk in the neighborhood – tomorrow a little snow in the morning – SMH.
I am looking forward to the weekend with sunny skies. I was thinking of trying some new places, but with a lot of rain, possible snow, going to a place I’m not familiar with may have to wait – otherwise it may turn out to be a muddy or soggy trek – I’ll stick with the tried-and-true spots for now, explore when the landscape is cheerier.
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I so get how you feel! We had 40 degree weather this week and it was sunny, so we attempted to take a walk. It was windy and March winds are COLD, so it was a 1/5 mile walk with windbreakers and fleece covered and we were chilled and not excited to attempt it again! Soon, though, we’ll both be outside enjoying the warmth. Hang in there, dear, Winter will leave us and Spring will fill us with warm adventures!!
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Like you I am hopeful … several bloggers, among them Laurie, an avid runner, (and who directed me to your blog), said I should walk in the rain when I stewed over missing walks thanks to the ever-present rain we had throughout 2018. I missed several 5Ks and other events, I paid for in advance, due to my unwillingness to walk in the rain. I am trying to change that mindset … maybe in warmer weather, but not in chilly rain. I had too many years of that soggy weather when taking the bus to/from downtown Detroit to attend Wayne State and then for work, so it is difficult to reform my thinking. I get more stubborn as I get older!
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I admire and wonder about those who can endure the weather regardless of what is thrown at them. I’m a fair weather walker/runner and same thing with swimming. I wear glasses, I prefer to be able to see where I’m going…and be comfortable in temps. Ugh…I’m getting more and more picky as I get older too. Nothing wrong with that, as long as you’re doing what you love, right?!
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Yes, I just don’t know if I have the mindset for walking in a lot of rain, but I will try walking in a gentle rain, but in the Summer, not in Spring or Fall. I wear glasses too and after years of wearing contact lenses I had to get used to glasses slipping down in hot/humid weather or fogging up when coming in from outside. Last year I got a pair that darkened in the sun never had prescription sunglasses before, so that was a first. The older I get, the less I am good with dealing with changes to my routine – that is not always good.
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I can so relate to your feelings about walking in weather and getting older. Is it our desires for a routine or is it common sense? 😉 LOL…
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Hmm – I’d like to ponder that suggestion while I walk this morning as I believe it is a bit of both to be honest. So, they say sleet may be possible this a.m., and I’m hoping to get out and beat it … it’s still kind of dark, so not too promising.
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I look forward to hearing the outcome of your pondering! I tried walking yesterday – the winds of March blasting across the snow covered fields is COLD, even if the warm sun is out, it is COLD. My common sense head says, hit the treadmill dear! xx
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You’re right Shelley – common sense often must prevail, and you are 8 years younger than me, so you likely have more sense of adventure in you yet you still say “hit the treadmill!”
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I want to be able to walk when I’m older, I tend to think twice before running just because it is running day or training day. My exercise is more just for health and maintaining not to win anything but a few happy moments enjoying the fresh air. And seeing blog worthy topics.
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I never had any interest in running either – it is hard on your bones, especially if you’re running on cement, even asphalt. Walking is really the best low-impact exercise you can do.
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I loved running from 2006 – 2018 (when I fell on my bike and broke my ribs). Since we started walking instead, I’m hooked on it and I don’t know if I’ll go back to running or not? I agree, walking is a great low-impact exercise, plus you can notice so much more around you when you’re able to walk and turn and look without falling.
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That’s a long time for running – wow, and walking is better as you get older. My boss had a bad fall on his bike in 2014 – 2nd or 3rd degree shoulder separation – did not have surgery and now has a knob there where it did not “knit” correctly, but surgeon advised NO surgery as he swims daily all year round and had powerful chest muscles and good strength in shoulders/arms – just wore a sling for about 2-3 weeks, then okay again.
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Yes, it was, and I enjoyed it. I thought I’d go right back to running once my ribs healed, but I’ve fallen in love with walking again. I don’t know if I’ll go back to running or not? That’s fast healing – swimming is a good form of exercise. I can’t see without my glasses, so I refrain from that – plus you have to go somewhere to exercise, I’m all about free and right here in my house kind of exercise.
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I’m about free exercise as well … Robb (my boss) was on the swim team in undergrad school at Northwestern. He has been swimming for years, but now swims every morning (pool time at a local high school) and two nights a week. I believe he swims Sunday mornings too. He is in the pool by 5:45 a.m. while school is in session. In the Summer, they have a community pool near where he lives, and it opens at daybreak and he does his laps. I forgot how many miles he swam last year – I want to say 233 plus 25 miles on the bike in good weather if his schedule permits. He just turned 72 on March 10th.
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That’s awesome that he is still exercising that much! Exercise is one of the keys to a long and healthy life! Keep walking – keep enjoying it :-)!
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He is an inspiration for keeping fit. He has a treadmill and exercise bike at home and an exercise bike at the office for inclement days and all Winter.
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He’s set to stay fit, that’s awesome!
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Well done for doing the six miles and getting the Irish jig in 🤣❤. I don’t blame those geese for staying on dry ground. I have been thinking of you recently and hoping that spring will be much nicer for you to get out and about in.
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I’d stay out of the ice, that’s for sure Zena. Well, thank you for your thoughts and I hope that our long-awaited Spring may happen and not just on the calendar. It has been sunnier and a tad warmer this week, but we’re having some slushy snow on Friday morning (they say, they are not always right). I was happy getting the six miles in as I made a lofty goal – I usually set a goal of only one mile more than the prior year and some fellow bloggers who run said – make it an even 2,000 kilometers … that is 100 miles more than last year. The weather better perk up soon because as of today, I have 1,100 miles to go!
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Wow that would be a huge goal. Positive thoughts for good weather conditions ❤
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Thanks Zena – we have a few rainy days coming up once again. It is hard to get going on this walking goal when you don’t have consistently good weather, but at least it is not icy!
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